The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-04-10

went Oh 10 speak OF Things Wllcn the
lad understood but vaguely. He was
ignorant ofthe most neutrality-suspicious.
teaching. and it perplexed rather than
consoled him to be told that Polly was
very, very happy-somewhere-far
away
But he realized this much at all
events, that he never should see Polly
alive again-that she was dead, like
mother-and great lump rose up in
bic throat, so that he had to leave off
eating his cake.
"She often used to speak of you, Jim.
She lOnged to see you and We did our
best to find you. And 1 promis her
that would give you this, Jim, with
her best love-"
As she spoke. The nurse lifted up
parcel which she had placed upon the
table when she entered. Jim watched
her through his gathering tears. as she
undid paper wrapper and revealed a
beautiful little doll dressed III a SAILORS
costume. with movable arms anu legs,
and rosy, smiling wax face.
"She chose this one, aud called IL JIM.
after her orc her." said the nurse, hold
ing it up for the lads in ction. ''She
used 10 hag 1t and talk 10 1t, and pre-
teud ii Was you. And just before site
died she al sed it, jim, as though she
had been kissing yOI. She Was very
fond of it, Jim. FOR your sake"
9 Whose doll was It?' inquired Jim.
husk,ly. after pause.
at was Polly's."
How did she come by it?" asked
Jim
1t was given to her. All the little
patients here had DOH or toy Of
some sort given TO them at Chris mas
time" explained the nurse. Some
kind friend sent this to Polly"
Somebody sent that there doll to
Polly" exclaimed jim incredulously.
who sent it to herr"
Some gentleman or lady, or perhaps
little child. answered the nurse; lat
Christmas time, friends who are well
and strong and happy think Of the poor
little ones IN our hospital wards, and
try to do something to make them
happy also. Some give money to be
spent in toys, and others send the toys
themselves. Some of the toys sent are
bought in shops, but others are made
| by the sender. Now. this doll, which
has pleased dear Polly so, has evidently
been dressed by some unknown little
friend, and all the clothes are beauti-
fully made
Ladies and gen'lemans sends emf
said Jim, with wrinkled brow. Real
ladies and gen lemans2 People that live
in big 'ouses and drives in carriages p
''AA kinds of people; rich or poor
great or small; but. of course, they are
mostly weil-to-do people, for the poor
have no money to spare" explained
the nurse, unable to divine what
thought prompted Jim's question, YET
| glad to divert him fora moment from
| his grief. .How WISH" continued the
good nurse, that the kino lady OF
gentleman or child who sent this pretty
| coll could know how happy it made
Polly. She had been pining and grisving
for you, and felt very lonely, but wher
| told her that some kind friend haC
sent her this-somebody who, without
knowing her, sympathized with hel
sufferings and wished to cheer he
loneliness-Poliy frightened up ano
asked me over and over again to givt
her best love and thanks to the unknown
friend if / ever found out who it was
And she called the doll after your nam,
Jim, and never let 1t be taken from he
while she lived"
The problem which occupied Jim
! mind, and for moment made him forge
his grief, was the attempt to understand
that some lady or gentleman mob
was. the generic epithet he mental,
employed-had sent that doll to hi;
sister Polly. This seemed too astonish
| ing to be true, for Jim had been brough
up to regard all well-to-do and well
| dressed persons as his natural enemies
and between rich and poor there wa
according to his creed great gulf fixed
which rendered sympathy and brother
" love between them absolutely
impossible. Charity, in the sence OF
almsgiving, Jim, had experience of, bu
heregarded this as the levying of black
mail from the wealthy classes which
was the right and privilege of the poor
A copper thrown at his feet had never
| inspired the lad with any sense OF
gratitude, as for an offering of good
| will. But the '.nob"who sent.Polly thai
| doIl-well, Jim felt he would Like t.
set eyes upon the person, just to realize
| what SO kindly an individual could b.
like,
"A summons for the nurse brought
the interview to a rather abrupt con
clusio and before Jim had time to ask
| further questions, Jim's kind hostess
wrapped the doll up again and handed
il to him, together with bright shilling
from her own purse. She then kissed
him on the forehead and accompanied
him to the hall door, from whence jim
issued forth, feeling his grief the more
bitterly at parting with such gentle
sympathizer.
When first he had recovered from
the first shock of hearing of his sisters
death, Jim soon ceased to mourn for
her. They had been parted for so long
that this final and irrevocable separa
ton affected him less than it would
otherwise have done. He had inseusi-
bly, become accustomed to being alone
in the world before he had learnt thai
Polly could never rejein him. But in
all his future trials and troubles she
remained wildly associated in his
memory with comparative happiness
now passed and gone. and he thought
of her with tender regret. He kept the
sailor doll as q precious memento Of
her, and even when months had rolled
by he handled it reverently as though
it had been a sacred relic. The doll
became very ragged and dirty and
tumbled from being hidden and slowed
away in strange holes and corners, for
Jim had no settled hsbitation. and the
doll, like himself, frequently had to be
satisfied with n.d.fresco lodging. There
we-e moments VIII poor Jim felt
a ! -